On The Boundaries of Duty and Honor
by SweetlySpicey
Summary: Prince or not, Huey was just a kid. He wasn't ready for the responsibilities he was being given. Two betrothed children will find that appearances can be decieving and childhood is a gift that's short lived


_Jazmine- ten_

_Huey- ten_

_Caesar- ten_

_Riley- eight_

_yeah. i dunno. im trying a new writing style. dunno if i like it. _

OoOOoO

Jazmine groaned as she watched the country side slowly pass as the jet black horse she was seated on tredged through the land. She didn't want to journey so far to see some snobby rich prince. But her father was adament about the subject so she chose not to put up a fight. Truth was, Princess Jazmine DuBois was quite worried. She had passed by her father's quaters not but a week ago, where she heard him speaking to her mother about how important this meeting was. And about an aliance between the kingdoms and... oh Lord.

She felt her heart lurch to her throat when a booming, "Almost there," informed her, pulling at the magnificent horse's reigns. She looked up at her father, not saying a word. King Thomas was a very kind soul, and easily liked around the kingdom. The ten year old's only desire was to please her father, but... at the expense of her own happiness?

King Thomas seemed to read the pained look on his daughter's face. He stroked her orange hair and smiled down hopefully at her, "Just give it a chance, My little gem," he encouraged, kissing her head, "He may be a very fine young lad,"

In all honesty, he could have been the finest young lad in the entire kingdom. It didn't matter to Jazmine. She hated the fact she had to travel on that long boat ride over to where they were now. She hated how dirty and tired she felt. But mostly, she hated that she was leaving her home in the summer time to spend the most beautiful three months of the whole year with some stranger. She missed her friends and her copper colored pony waiting for her in the stable. She missed her Mommy. She missed her home...

OoOOoO

"Huey! Huey, Boy, wake yourself," The old man bellowed. Huey groaned, rolling to his side, "Princess Jazmine and Kind Thomas will be here momentarily,"

The young prince sat himself up, only to see his Grandfather, glaring down at him, "What are you still doing in bed? Get up! Get dressed! Don't make me tell you again," The has-been king shook his finger at the boy before heading for the door, "And don't dawdle. Be down to greet your intended immediately,"

And with the resoning sound of the door slamming, Huey sighed to himself and rubbed his eyes, getting up to find the clothes his servants left out for him. He grimaced at the sight of the large portrait of his late father beaming down at him. That creepy thing made his stomach churn.

And now he had to meet with some spoiled, prim and proper princess from across the sea. He had heard things about girls from their kingdom... and all from the very boy who at that very moment tossed open the door to his bedroom. In bolted his long time best friend and self proclaimed advisor.

"She's comin' today!?" The duke's son, Michael Caesar asked enthusiastically. He jumped on Huey's bed, pulling the young prince into a choke hold, "Your wife's comin!?"

Huey tossed him off quite easily, annoyed at the way he was wording his questions, "She aint my wife,"

"Man," Caesar said, adjusting his annoying collar, "I can't believe you're betrothed to a girl from Dubois's kingdom. You know the girls there eat SNAILS!? Snails!"

"Yes, you told me," Was the annoyed Prince's reply as he pulled on his boots.

"And they have green eyes. Isn't that gross?" Caesar went on, picking up Huey's sword sitting in the corner, "Girls with green eyes! I heard that if a girl has green eyes it means she's a witch who can suck out your mind with her eyes. Didja know that!?"

"Yeah. I know. You told me, before," Huey was getting more perturbed, snagging his sword back from Caesar's grip and tying it to his hip. He normally didn't wear it, but this was a formal occassion and it was imparitive in their kingdom. He pulled as his hair and headed for the door, followed by his still chatting Caesar.

"She's gonna be here all summer? The whole summer!?" Caesar wailed, "We can't... ya know... hang out with a girl all summer!" The two headed down the hall, Caesar's voice echoing through the stone walls. "We aint gonna be like... ya know... lettn her follow us around, are we?"

Huey ignored him, trying to clear his mind. His eyes shut and he took a breath. The ten year old knew that what he was doing was for the good of the kingdom, really. It made his stomach hurt to think about it, though. He knew the law. He was just a boy,still, but he couldn't marry a woman that his family didn't choise. And since his parents were both dead, his Grandfather was given the right to chose. But the Great King Robert Freeman was getting old, and by the time Huey was of natural wedding age, the old king would surely be passed. The only way was to set an engagement before it was too late and hope that the two would make to marrying age.

If the union didn't pass, and if the marriage didn't go through, their kingdoms would continue to do battle for years and years to come.

It was another reason why this was so important. It was the bigger reason, also. King Thomas only came into power when his elder brother died in battle...the same battle Huey's father died in. At this, King Thomas decided that the waring going on between the two countries had gone on long enough, King Robert, was of course ready as well.

All of this. The entire sanctity of two nations relied on two children. The idea made Huey ill again.

His brow furrowed. Caesar was still complaining.

"I mean, she's probably gonna wanna ride your hose and...and play dress up with your armor and-"

"Caesar!" Huey exclaimed, turning on his heel to face his friend with a harsh face, "Yes, the Princess from the DuBois Kingdom is gonna be _annoying _and will follow us around. She probably _is _stupid and will do all those ugly, ridiculous things girls do. Just deal with it until she's gone, Okay!? We can last three months!" The young prince had no idea that he had decided to shout just as the two had entered the main hall, where his voice carried for what felt like ages. Caesar's eyes were the size of two small moons, staring at whatever was behind Huey.

Not needing to turn around, because karma always, always got him back, Huey didn't need to turn around to know that his Grandfather, his baby brother, his most respected teacher, King Thomas, and of course, of course the princess, were all right behind him, boring holes into his back as if it were a dragon.

Gulping, he looked over his shoulder to see every single one of those faces, plus some, doing exactly what he expected.

The princess's big green eyes blinked twice in confusion, but narrowed in, not anger, but annoyance.

King Robert cleared his throat, "Uh... King Thomas, this is... my... very funny and joke filled Grandson, Prince Huey," The look the old king was giving Huey made him flinch and turn fully around. Prince Riley snickered from his spot at the table, trying to hide his big grin at his elder brother's expense.

"Mhmm," King Thomas muttered, running a hand over his chin, "What a... unique sense of humor he has,"

"My apologies, your grace," Huey said quickly, bowing deeply at the hip. Caesar copied, "I... I meant no offense,"

"Well, I wasn't offended," King Thomas told him regally. He turned to his daughter who still looked annoyed, "Daughter? Did this boy offend you?"

Huey looked up to see the young princess turn her nose, at him, her gaze lowered at his down state and her fat lips curled into a smug grin.

When she finally spoke, the tone of her voice proved to be that of someone educated for her age, "Only when he assumed I would be eager to follow him and his whimsical companion about his dainty home all summer, Father,"

At this, Caesar fought back a chuckle, Huey fought back a glare. King Thomas nudged his daughter forward, reminding her to not forget her manners. She pouted her lip and curtseyed elegantly before him.

Grandad was forced to clear his throat in order to get Huey to say, "I am... _honored _to have you here, Princess," Huey bit out, finally rising from his bow. Caesar stood as well, readjusting his colla.r

"The honor is all _mine_, Prince Huey," She sounded exasperated, forced by cordial law and years of eloquent lessons to refuse the words coming from her mouth, "I have looked forward to staying in your kingdom since early April,"

The children glowered at each other. Huey's eyebrow popped as he diverted his eyes so not to make contact with hers. He wasn't sure if he believed Caesar's crazy stories, but he wasn't gonna be too careful. He looked up at his Grandfather who had his arms folded over his chest and was staring at Huey as if he were forgetting something of vital importance.

Feeling every muscle in his body go tense at the thought, he took her hand and placed a forcebly polite kiss on her hand, only to reel back and do his best to not grimace. Jazmine tucked both hands behind her back, trying to hide the motion of wiping off her now infected hand.

"Now! Let us all eat!" King Robert exclaimed, trying to keep the awkwardness back down to a zero, "I do hope you brought your appeties,"

OoOOoO

_I dunno if i'll finish this one... but i was reminded of the Swan Princess like last week_

_and since i used to LOVE that movie as a kid, I figured, hey... why NOT!?_

_I dunno. if yall like it, i'll continue._

_after Last Ditch Effort, which should be finished very soon. _


End file.
